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What a lively day! Today is a day of celebration for the mystery cults of Ashava, the Empyreal Lord of dancers and moonlight. Small processions of the brightly dressed but veiled celebrants can be found all over the city's safer districts--especially, it seems, here in the Lowcleft District, affectionately called "the Rubble" by locals in reference to the small but frequent
Taking advantage of the dancing cults and the crowds of gawkers, numerous small merchants, local businesses, and street entertainers have set up their stalls or thrown open their doors, and here at least a festival atmosphere reigns. Children run in shrieking packs, musicians play, traders hawk their daily specials, and a few bystanders join in on the dancing processions (perhaps prompted by one to many mulled beers...)
Well, maybe nothing will catch fire today. Wouldn't that be nice? Just a day to sit back and reeelaaaax...
A man in a guard uniform stands at one of the merchant stalls. Not at attention, but searching their wares. The tip of his spear goes well over his head. He looks kind of rough, but he keeps a clean appearance. It's clear on inspection that this man has been through some rough times despite his smile.
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What a lively day! Today is a day of celebration for the mystery cults of Ashava, the Empyreal Lord of dancers and moonlight. Small processions of the brightly dressed but veiled celebrants can be found all over the city's safer districts--especially, it seems, here in the Lowcleft District, affectionately called "the Rubble" by locals in reference to the small but frequent...
...rockfalls that tumble from the high rough walls of the Seacleft, atop which rests the city's wealthiest & military districts.
While Gaziq would normally be delighted by a festival like this one, he was still sore and weary from his time on the road. His first priority was to find a hot meal and a place to stay - then, maybe sometime later in the day, he could go back out and enjoy the sights a little more.
He heads into the first inn he finds with open doors, doing his best not to look like a complete fish out of water. "Hello, is the owner around? If there are any vacancies here, I'd like to find lodgings for the night. The next few nights, possibly."
Ceinwynn sits in the Fancy Reefclaw brewery attempting to get a reprieve from the large crowd of celebrants clogging the streets of "the Rubble". She has positioned herself strategically in a cozy corner away from others. An alchemy books lies on the table and she thumbs through it, looking for a specific recipe. With her other hand, she aerates her Wiscrani Barbera wine by spinning the wineglass softly.
Her thoughts are interrupted by a newcomer:
"Hello, is the owner around? If there are any vacancies here, I'd like to find lodgings for the night. The next few nights, possibly."
She sighs at the interruption and looks up from her book to view the culprit. She is pleasantly surprised to see a rather odd looking humanoid in the doorway. She calls out to the newcomer. "Golliver just went back to tap a new keg. He will be back in a bit."
Gaziq turns to see an attractive female elf reclined in her chair at a table with her legs outstretched so that her boots sit resting on a chair. She wears a small brimmed cap and peers at him through rose-colored spectacles. An adventurer's pack sits on the floor next to her as does a finely crafted longbow with a quiver of arrows. An ornate broach is pinned to the collar of her long, leather overcoat. It has the symbol of Calistria on it.
That's not something you see every day. Nathalion had been watching a group of dancers perform, and sipping on a bota of local, mediocre wine, but his eye had been drawn to a small figure entering the Fancy Reefclaw. A ratfolk, unless Nathalion misses his guess. Perhaps a ratfolk on a quest. One needing a wizardly sleuth, Nathalion hopes.
Heading across the small plaza, the tall, young, human male enters the inn after the ratfolk. Nathalion pauses just within the doorway to remove his shady brimmed hat, then looks about the room. He smiles at the elf woman, then finds a table and takes a seat.
Ceinwynn watches as the blonde haired man with the red and gold highlights enters the brewery shortly after the ratfolk. She catches the man's smile and grins back coyly. Her eyes travel to his unique checkered staff and they linger there a bit before turning back to her book. She takes a second glance at the man as he sits, wondering what brought him to the Fancy Reefclaw.
"Ah, thank you." Gaziq nods to the elf women, taking note of her weapons and equipment. "I guess it's true what they say about Magnimar. There's a hero around every corner." He moves to take a seat at the table next to hers, dropping his pack underneath, along with the trio of blades still strapped to it. Now that he's closer to her, the layer of dust coating him and his belongings becomes that much more evident.
"The name is Gaziq. I promise, I'm not normally this much of a mess, but I've been on the road for quite some time.
A short and stocky cloaked figure walks slowly along the street beside the procession. He wears a kerchief over his face and gloves on his hands, and looks to be dressed far too warmly for a night such as this. Strapped to his back is a large implement, clearly a scythe, though the blade is wrapped in cloth. He sits on a bench, and watches the procession. The figure seems to be genuinely enjoying the procession.
Behind him there is another figure in a cloak, hunched down and scuttling along the ground. Is it a child? Or maybe a big dog? Why would it be wrapped in a cloak? It stops and waits, apparently uninterested in the crowd.
The small figure turns sharply, suddenly interested in something going on at the front of a nearby tavern. The sitting man looks down and the crouching figure, then at the tavern. He sees a ratfolk enter.
"No, no," the man says quietly to the crouched figure. "It looks like a rat, but it's not. It's a person. No, we don't eat them."
The man rubs the head of the crouched figure, then looks back at the tavern. If they will serve a ratfolk, maybe they will serve me?
He thinks for a moment, and stands. He strides purposefully over to the doorway and looks in. Seeing that it is not too busy (as most of the drinkers are out in the street), he walks in and finds a table near a window. He sits with his back to the wall, and looks out the window. The crouched figure follows and crawls under the table. After a moment he begins tapping his fingers on the table, looking around expectantly, looking for the barkeep or servers that might be here.
...
...
... I'm starvin'.
The guard excuses himself to search for a place to satisfy his hunger. He makes his way through the winding streets 'til he enters the first tavern he sees.
Fancy Reefclaw? Always saw that from the outside, never been hungry enough to actually go inside...
He opens the door and glances around for only an instant, but still long enough to catch sight of a rat creature and a nearly mummified looking dwarf (probably) with some... thing rustling under the table.
...the place. ALRIGHT, I'll wait til they're done.
And promptly decides to wait outside the door.
Uuzkhangr sees the guardsman peer in the doorway, then stand outside. He stiffens.
The guard! Are they after me? I have done nothing. Have they seen through my disguise?
He looks around the room, looking to see where the other exits are. He looks over the other three occupants of the room.
Perhaps it is not me they are after... maybe one of these? Who knows what these other folk are up to? But how can I tell?
Uuzkhangr looks around the room for a while, as if trying to decide something. Then he clears his throat.
"*ahem!* Uh, would... um, are any of you by chance being sought by the city guard? None of my business, but there's a guardsman standing watch outside."
"Ah, thank you...The name is Gaziq. I promise, I'm not normally this much of a mess, but I've been on the road for quite some time."
She smiles at the newcomer's apology for his lack of cleanliness. "No worries. I wish I was out getting dusty. I've spent too much time in these books lately. I'm kind of antsy to do something more adventurous. I am Ceinwynn, but my friends call me Wynny . What will you have to drink?" She offers her hand.
While sitting with the ratfolk, Ceinwynn watches as the brewery starts to fill up. She cannot help but notice the guard enter then exit. She decides to pack up her book and pay more attention to her surroundings. After placing her book in her pack, she finishes her glass of wine.
""*ahem!* Uh, would... um, are any of you by chance being sought by the city guard? None of my business, but there's a guardsman standing watch outside."
"Tis not a rare occurrence for a guardsman to look into a pub, my friend. What makes you so jumpy? Golliver does not put up with any shenanigans here. The local guard knows that."
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As yet another procession of dancers comes into sight, they are met by a disorganized crowd of vendors hurriedly pulling their carts the opposite way, sweating and swearing. As the two groups bump up against each other folks start yelling or milling about in confusion. Several of the merchants' irritated voices can be heard shouting something about the street being flooded.
A slight, well-dressed young man wearing the blue and white of a city bureaucrat comes bounding up the steps of Fancy Reefclaw with an armored guardsman following close at his heels. Slamming the door open, the younger man pauses in the doorway for a moment to catch his breath, then angrily strides towards the stairwell. "Zilderban!" he bellows up the stairs. "Zilderban, you damnable buffoon! Something's wrong with stupid machine, the street's flooding and its disrupting the festivities!"
After a moment of silence, a gnome with outrageously bright purple hair and a glittering silver long coat appears at the top of the stairs, his expression clearly annoyed. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, ye barmy s#*%e," he mutters as he hops down steps almost of third his height. "I already told Lord Deverin that my design was strictly experimental--there were bound to be a few hiccups along the way. Lead on, sooner started sooner finished!" With mutual derisive snorts, the humans and gnome depart the Fancy Reefclaw.
Gaziq accepts Wynny's hand, but before he has the chance to get a drink of his own, two more men burst into the inn. "Seems I stumbled onto a pretty popular establishment." He watches the entire spectacle with a bemused look on his face. It's not until after the gnome and his escorts have made their way outside that he gets out of his seat to follow, grabbing his pack on his way out. He pauses briefly at the door. "No offense Wynny, but whatever is going on out there has got to be more interesting than whatever you're reading. You coming along?"
The sudden commotion gets the guardsman's attention with haste. He doesn't enter the building, but he keeps his ear open. The sound of one word in particular seems to get to him.
Oh, I get it. Funny.
"Flood?!" He makes a point of keeping pace with the trio trotting out of the building, prodding them with questions. While hoping they won't ask too many of their own.
"Whatchu mean a flood?! Dere's a thousand people ousside right now. Whea is it?"
"No offense Wynny, but whatever is going on out there has got to be more interesting than whatever you're reading. You coming along?"
Ceinwynn grabs her gear and follows her new friend out of the brewery. On their way out, "I guess I just asked for something more adventurous. Maybe we will get some excitement today afterall, Gaziq."
Nathalion had been pondering how best to introduce himself to the ratfolk and elf. Then the heavily cloaked figure with his strange sidekick had arrived. Then announced the presence of a guardsman lurking outside. Something was up this night, and the epicenter seemed to be here at the Fancy Reefclaw...
Then the bureaucrat bursts in. Nathalion listens to the exchange between bureaucrat, and gnome (engineer apparently). The wizard scoops up his hat, settling it on his head, then stave in hand, he follows out the door, behind the ratfolk, and elf woman. Nathalion had not heard of the pump project, or whatever it was. His curiosity was piqued. That and perhaps there was potential to land a contract with the city. It seemed the ratfolk was merely a traveler after all, but Nathalion can smell opportunity in the air tonight.
A flood? Here?
The cloaked man gets up and peers this way and that out the window.
He turns and looks down under the table.
"Come on, Zyxl. I can't see anything from here. Let's go outside."
He heads for the doorway and steps out front. The strange crawling thing follows him out. He stops on the front stoop and steps to one side of the door, watching the commotion out front.
So loud and crowded... This'll take some getting used to.
The tiefling barely has time to finish his thoughts, for as soon as he enters the inn, he's interrupted by the discussion between a human and a gnome.
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Out in the street, the merchants have pushed their way through the dancers and are busily setting up again, while the dancers are huddled up and appear to be discussing how to proceed. Ahead of them, the street is indeed flooded, with an inch or two of water covering the cobblestones. Every few seconds, a spot in the street burbles up a small gush of water, but the source isn't clearly visible. This spot appears to be the destination of the bureaucrat and the gnome, their continuing argument inaudible at this distance.
Ceinwynn continues to follow bureaucrat and the gnome down the street. This is quite interesting.
Borumaru follows the gome and bureaucrat out of curiosity.
Let's see how these people deal with an unexpected crisis...
Uuzkhangr continues to watch, curious as to what they will do about the flood.
Being ignored with his line of questioning, the mostly cloth-armored guard tries to eavesdrop on the gnome and rich mans conversation. Hoping for any relevant details like the machines location while he tries to usher folks away from the water.
Edit:
"When they said 'flood', they were not exaggerating. What sort of machine would be able to do all this?" Gaziq continued after the gnome, his curiosity pushing him forward.
"I certainly expected better from the great Magnimar" Borumaru grumbles disappointed to no one in particular...
Nathalion watches the water bubble up. He wonders if it seawater, or fresh, but doesn't feel like doing the obvious test, what with the filth of the street mixed in.
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Raleigh and Uuzkhangr are able to read the little gnomes lips, at least a bit, as he argues with the human. Splashing through the water, Zilderban waves a dismissive hand at the bureaucrat and says some including the words "pump" "small mishaps," and "told you, it's experimental"--along with a significant glance and seeming emphasis on the words "young lord Deverin."
Glowering down at the bubbling spot in the street, the gnome visibly sights and pulls out a ring of keys, kneeling down in the water and feeling around with his other hand. After a moment of this, he inserts the key into some unseen lock and turns, while the guardsman moves over help. Between the two of them they are able to lift what looks like a thick, round slab or iron on a hinge out the water. Zilderban frowns at the water still bubbling forth, rolling up his sleeve and reaching an arm into the water to feel around--followed shortly thereafter by an undignified shriek of pain as he snatches his arm back. Fast on his heels the water churns as dozens upon dozens of fat rats--half-drowned and frenzied--come boiling up out of the water. Several of the vermin are easily the size of a small dog, but even the normal ones are startling in their numbers. With a shriek Zilderban tries to flee clutching his bleeding hand, but stumbles and falls on an unseen brick concealed by the waters. The guard, makes a horrified half-yell and scrambles away, clutching clumsily at his sword.
Turn Order:
1. Nathalion
2. Dire Rats
3. Gaziq
4. Rat Swarm
5. Borumaru
6. Ceinwynn
7. Raleigh
8. Uuzkhangr
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"Zzt?"
The mantis pokes its head out from under the cloak, clearly interested in this new development.
Uuzkhangr sighs. "And here I thought I had some time off."
"Definitely expected better..." Borumaru grumbles to himself while shaking his head. "The Empress' blade wasn't meant for vermin... But cuts them just the same." he adds, pulling his sword from its scabbard.
Borumaru sighs... Annoyed by having to foul his blade with such repulsive creatures.
He rushes towards one of the dire rats next to the gnome and slices at it with his katana.
"Hang on! Help is on the way!"
Gaziq retrieves his crossbow and fires a shot at the dire rat closest to him, hoping to draw its attention away from the gnome.
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Taking aim at a huge rage tearing at Zilderban's sleeve, Gaziq's arrow punches through the animal's rib cage and it flops to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.
Seemingly following their larger cousins, the squeaking, writhing mass of wet rats surges down the street, many of them clambering over the thrashing gnome as they move.
Why are people running into danger? Not even the real guard is doing that. Fine...
The other guard levels his spear and charges into another of the massive rats.
"Hate these bloody things!"
Ceinwynn moves to an open lane and throws a bomb at the rat swarm. She makes sure to avoid damage to humanoids.
Nathalion grabs the flask of alchemist's fire from its place on his belt then moves closer to the swarming rats, before flinging the flask of chemical.
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Your token is now assigned. It doesn't look like you have a bandolier so drawing the flask is a Move Action, I'll move you closer but the throw will have to wait for next turn.
Just do confirm, do you have an archetype rule for the 50% splash damage thing? Normally for alchemists its minimum damage (so 5, or 6 with Point Blank Shot). Didn't see anything in your stats so thought I'd ask.
Also, seeing 3 traits but no drawback, is that written down somewhere else? Sorry for not catching sooner
Nathalion advances on the mass of vermin, withdrawing a small vial and hefting it in his hand, gauging the distance.
With the scrape of steel against leather an exotically dressed man rushes forward, silver blade flashing in the mid-morning sun. The filthy grey rat squeals as an artful slice ends its life.
The elven woman maneuvers for position, hands a blur as she shakes a round glass globe, then sends it sailing towards the carpet of wet vermin. Her aim is head-on and the bloom of flame consumes most of the rats in an instant--but the remainder are even more frenzied and panicked.
With a shout the guardsman who'd been peeking in to the Fancy Reefclaw rushes the last of the enormous rats, but the creature twists and his strike gouges along its ribs instead of spitting it.
"Zyxl." Uuzkhangr points at the mass of rats. "Attack."
Uuzkhangr draws forth a club and steps forward. He begins smashing the club among the rats.
The pale mantis lunges forwards, striking with its forelimbs.
Nathalion backs away from the rats, maybe an opening will form.